Voodooism Explained

"Among the negroes of the South, in America, and among the Hawaiians, we
find marked instances of this kind. The negro Voodoo men and women work
Black Magic on those of their race who are superstitious and credulous,
and who have a mortal fear of the Voodoo. Travelers who have visited the
countries in which there is a large negro population have many
interesting tales to recite of the terrible workings of these Voodoo
black magicians. In some cases, sickness and even death is the result.
But, mark you this! It is only those who believe in, and fear, the power
of the Voodoos that are so affected. In Hawaii, the Kahunas or native
magicians are renowned for their power to cause sickness and death to
those who have offended them; or to those who have offended some client
of the Kahuna, and who have hired the latter to 'pray' the enemy to
sickness or death. The poor, ignorant Hawaiians, believing implicitly in
the power of the Kahunas, and being in deadly fear of them, are very
susceptible to their psychic influence, and naturally fall easy victims
to their vile arts, unless they buy off the Kahuna, or make peace with
his client. White persons living in Hawaii are not affected by the
Kahunas, for they do not believe in them, neither do they fear them.
Unconsciously, but yet strongly, they 'deny' the power, and are immune.
So you see the principle working out here, too. Once you have the
master-key, you may unlock many doors of mystery which have heretofore
been closed to you."